A 40-year-old transgender woman was allegedly attacked by two men on a motorbike late on Monday night/early Tuesday morning at the Secunderabad Bus Station, and instead of helping her, the police reportedly did not take her complaint seriously. She was returning home at around 2am, when two men threw a handful of chilli powder on her face.

The incident came into light on Wednesday, after a Hyderabad-based a transgender rights activist, Rachana Mudraboyina, posted about the incident on her Facebook page.

“Though she and a few others from the transgender community alerted a police patrol vehicle about the incident, they did not seem to bother about the safety of the community,” alleges Rachana.

“Hyderabad...still not safe space for Trans people mostly in odd hours as there are no alternative livelihood options..hatred, transphobia and inhumanity,” Rachana posted.

(Image credit: Facebook/Rachana Mudraboyina)

However, this is not the first such incident that members of the transgender community in the state have faced, says Rachna. The activist said that more than 90% of transgender persons face harassment almost every day.

“A few days back, a trans woman was attacked with stones on the same road. She started bleeding really badly, and we took her to the Gandhi Hospital. She lost her vision partially. Such incidents happen every single day,” she alleged.

The police however denied any knowledge of the incident. "We do not know about this case. No such case has been registered, but I will inquire on this matter," said Inspector Uma Maheshwar Rao.

Rachana claims that the there are no streetlights and CCTV cameras on the street. And as there are no safety measures, such incidents are rampant in Hyderabad, she said.

“There are no laws that can recognise our problems, so there is no question of justice. I know several cases where trans women have been gang raped, but no action has been taken,” she added.

In April 2014, the Supreme Court in the NALSA verdict gave transgender persons the right to self identify their gender. The court further directed the Centre and the states to ensure the safety of transgender persons, and provide reservations in education and employment. However, little has been done in this regard.

“Most of the trans women are either beggars or sex workers. We don’t like this profession, but we don’t have a choice,” Rachana says.